Paul Haggis’ house arrest ends after 16 days amid assault investigation
The Italian judge cited an “absence of constricting violent behavior” in the filmmaker's release
Filmmaker Paul Haggis has been released from house arrest in Italy after 16 days, according to a new Variety report. An investigation into charges concerning the alleged sexual assault of a 28-year-old woman over the course of two days continues, though Haggis maintains his innocence in the matter.
As reported by Italian news agency ANSA (per Rolling Stone), Judge Vilma Gilli shared that the victim’s account of the allegations “revealed a complex affair that negates the original judgment contained in the warrant.” In ending Haggis’ house arrest, the judge cited an “absence of constricting violent behavior.”
In a statement to Variety, the director’s lawyer Michele Laforgia says, “The revocation order by the judge for preliminary investigations acknowledges not only the absence of any precautionary needs, but also excludes ‘any violent or otherwise coercive conduct’ by Paul Haggis.”
He continues, “It is an important result, which confirms the version offered from the very first moment by Haggis on the voluntary nature of the relationship he had with the complainant and shows how our procedural system is capable, in a short time, of remedying mistakes and restoring freedom to those who are entitled to it.”
“We are confident that in an equally short time it will be possible to definitively clarify that Haggis did not commit any crime and he is completely innocent of this terrible accusation, as we have always said,” the attorney concludes.
According to a police report obtained by The Daily Beast, Haggis’ accuser alleged, “I was raped for days. We were supposed to work together, but instead he raped me from Sunday evening to Wednesday.” A flight attendant who found the woman “cowering in a corner” at the airport where Haggis allegedly dropped her off said that the victim “was destroyed” and “spoke with difficulty.” A medical examiner’s report stated “she was left incapable of having sex from the violence” of the repeated assaults.
Haggis, who has multiple prior accusations of sexual assault against him, will reportedly remain in Italy while prosecutors decide the next steps of the investigation.